When the Key Men Met in Secret in 1931 to Create ALPA, the United States Was in the Throes of the Great Depression

When the Key Men met in secret in 1931 to create ALPA, the United States was in the throes of the Great Depression. The nation and the world were in turmoil. Yet the Key Men knew that much more united than divided them and that their best hopes for the future depended on banding together to present a coherent, cohesive voice—at the negotiating table, on the picket line, in the corridors of political power in Washington, D.C., and on Wall Street. Today, when single- and twin- engine turboprops connect Americans and Canadians with hubs that launch turbofan-powered widebodied jets to five other continents, that fundamental truth remains as valid today as it was in 1931. Turn the page to learn more about your ALPA brothers and sisters. Some of the perennial themes and common denominators of their stories and struggles are older than this, the largest union of airline pilots in the world. The PILOTS OFALPA ) INNACLE (P KILLINGS S RENT B . capt 2013 PHOTO BY BY PHOTO January 2013 Air Line Pilot 13 n March 1, 2012, the While setting a new Southwest slowly spooled up. The FAA approved South- course and settling into their Autumn brought addi- PILOTS Owest Airlines’ applica- new roles, the MEC was tional change to the airline. OF tion for a single operating confronted with Southwest’s Southwest announced that certificate (SOC) with wholly announcement on May 22, the Milwaukee, Wisc., base, ALPA owned AirTran Airways. With 2012, that it had reached a which was expected to stay the SOC in hand, Southwest tentative agreement with open into 2013, would draw 2013 moved forward and began Delta to sublease AirTran’s down and eventually close. transitioning AirTran’s opera- B-717s—an agreement In preparation for the tions, including moving some that changed the tone and transition of the majority of AirTran pilots “across the tenor of the transition among Milwaukee-based pilots and Setting a partition,” the invisible wall AirTran pilots, Southwest at the request of the MEC, New Course that now separates the two management, and the ALPA’s Executive Council companies and pilot groups. Southwest Airlines Pilots’ reviewed and approved the by Toni C. Vacinek The inaugural conversion Association. The MEC leaders dissolution of the Milwaukee Senior Communications class of pilots took place on are currently working with local council, with the remain- Specialist March 28, 2012, and just ALPA staff and pilot leaders to ing members joining the fewer than 200 of the 1,750 sort through the ramifications local council in Orlando, Fla., the previous headquarters Retired B-717 of AirTran Airways and the F/O Jo Beth original base for its pilots. Lynch after However, Orlando will also landing her soon be shrinking as pilot retirement transitioning across the parti- flight in Atlanta, tion increases and the num- Ga., on Oct. 28, ber of routes flown by AirTran 2012. Lynch is pilots decreases. The dis- the first pilot solution of the Orlando local in five years council is on the horizon, and to retire at AirTran and the first ALPA-represented AirTran the remaining pilots will again pilot to retire. Lynch, an ALPA member for 28 years, is also a reunite as one council—until retired captain on the B-757 and B-767 for United Airlines. She that, too, is gone. made significant contributions to her fellow pilots, ALPA, and “The majority of our pilots the airline industry with her dedication to safety in leadership are still waiting to cross the roles at Air Virginia and United. partition to Southwest,” says Capt. Jim Morris, the pilots’ pilots on the former AirTran for their members. MEC chairman. “For most seniority list are now flying As one group of AirTran of those who remain, the under the Southwest livery. pilots was getting ready to sublease of the B-717 fleet to Facing transition within begin conversion training at Delta changes the landscape. its own group, and as part of Southwest, another group of We at the MEC are doing ev- the Master Executive Council pilots filed a dispute resolu- erything possible to make this (MEC) officer term of office tion claim with the Dispute work for our members, who cycle, which ended in April, Resolution Committee, expected this transition to the MEC elected new officers consisting of two premerger look vastly different than it to continue the work of AirTran pilots and two pre- does today.” representing the best interests merger Southwest pilots, of the AirTran pilot group. regarding the effect on the Whereas the former leaders seniority integration agree- AtaGlance were focused on seniority ment due to the sublease of n Pilots joined ALPA: 2009 list integration and contract B-717s to Delta. Meanwhile, n Number of pilots: 1,500+ negotiations, the task of AirTran’s Negotiating n Pilot domiciles: Atlanta, Ga.; Milwaukee, Wisc.; and Orlando, Fla. moving through the merger Committee, at the direction n Headquarters: Dallas, Tex. with Southwest belongs to the of the MEC, engaged the n Operations/services: AirTran current slate of officers and company in discussions to Airways, a wholly owned subsidiary representatives. Developing obtain improvements to of Southwest Airlines Co., offers the goals and the strategy for maintain the quality of life for coast-to-coast and near-international service with close to 600 flights a day maintaining a transition that the pilots who would remain to 54 destinations is smooth and transparent was on the AirTran side of the n 88 B-717s and 41 B-737s Fleet: AirTran the first order of business. partition as the transition to 14 Air Line Pilot January 2013 he Air Transat pilots airline some relief, the pilots During testimony, Capt. Dan The have seen the effect agreed to extend the life of Adamus (Jazz), ALPA’s Canada Tthat government policy their contract by a year, to Board president, said: “The PILOTS May 2015. They also agreed OF can have on airline opera- issue of hiring foreign pilots tions. The pilots have had to to a cost-of-living freeze, and its impacts on the labour ALPA endure the detrimental ef- approving a bonus program to force are subjects that need fects of Canada’s Temporary recoup lost wages if company to be taken seriously by the 2013 Foreign Worker Program and performance improves. federal government. Some the use of wet-leasing by “We understand that our airline managements have competing airlines for the last airline is concerned about been abusing the Temporary few years. Sizeable losses and overextending itself,” says Foreign Worker Program Pilots concerns about diluted de- Lavoie. “The airplanes that we by using it for competitive Combat Job mand pushed the airline into parked were eventually going advantages instead of filling a downsizing and restructuring to be replaced, but now, with labour shortage as originally Outsourcing in 2012. this fight, we’re waiting to see envisioned by the legislation.” by john Perkinson ALPA and Air Transat’s what happens.” Despite these challenges, Staff Writer parent company, Transat A.T., The Temporary Foreign Lavoie describes his pilot Inc., banded together with Air Worker Program allows air- group’s relationship with Canada and WestJet to pub- lines to forgo hiring Canadian management as positive. “We licly denounce the Canadian pilots and instead employ have problems here and there, Transportation Agency’s overseas pilots and save on but we have a good channel of November 2012 decision to initial training costs. However, communications with senior uphold these practices. The several Canadian airlines management, and we’re group condemned agency have sidestepped the clause working together to help our airline succeed. However, we An Air Transat A330 at also understand that we’re a Montréal-Trudeau Airport. publicly traded company and that we need to make money to stay in business.” Lavoie remains hopeful that the airline industry can convince the Canadian gov- COURTESY AIR TRANSAT COURTESY ernment to see the shortcom- approval of Canadian airline that delineates that foreign ings of this destructive policy Sunwing’s seasonal use of workers can be employed and act in the best interest of four Czech airplanes and only if the company can its citizens. overseas flight crews as part demonstrate that no suitable Air Transat offers both of its winter operation. Canadian residents can fill scheduled and charter ALPA and the other avia- the available jobs. Lavoie flights using a fleet of Airbus tion stakeholders pointed out points out, “It appears that A310s and A330s. The air- that half of Sunwing’s pilots some airlines will overlook a line balances its southbound and two-thirds of its airplanes Canadian applicant if he or operations in the winter in use this winter are from she doesn’t have the specific with trips to Europe in the other countries, giving the type rating for the airplanes summer and carries nearly airline an unfair operating that airline uses.” 2 million passengers per advantage and neglecting In addition, the program year to 60 destinations in 25 unemployed Canadian pilots. calls for reciprocity—i.e., use countries. On Nov. 14, 2012, Sunwing and similar carriers of available Canadian pilots Air Transat celebrated its use these tactics to take ad- in the program’s participating 25th anniversary. vantage of Canadians’ travel countries during Canada’s to the Caribbean and Central summer season—but this and South America during policy is not being properly AtaGlance the winter, when demand is at honoured. n Pilots joined ALPA: 1999 a premium. Lavoie notes that ALPA’s n Number of pilots: 436 (including “We laid off 56 pilots this Canada Board has been a furloughees) fall and had to park two of strong ally, testifying before n Headquarters: Pierre E.

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